The Evolution of Stylometry in Humanities Scholarship

This paper traces the historical development of the use of statistical methods in the analysis of literary style. Commencing with stylometry's early origins, the paper looks at both successful and unsuccessful applications, and at the internal struggles as statisticians search for a proven methodology. The growing power of the computer and the ready availability of machine-readable texts are transforming modern stylometry, which has now attracted the attention of the media. Stylometry's interaction with more traditional literary scholarship is also discussed